alyonaskya
This movie had Harrison Ford playing himself; basically an asshole. This a good, emotional movie that won't disappoint almost any movie watcher.
ronfernandezsf
A heartwarming film that has no crashes or special effects and NO foul language. For that alone, this movie worth watching. Good performances by the three leads, especially Harrison Ford who is now a character actor as opposed to his strong leading man roles. Yes, everyone ages and one can't young and handsome forever.What would have made this a little more realistic is if one or both of the parents had siblings, Mothers, Fathers or other relatives involved. They wee certainly young enough to have living parents. For sure the grandparents would have been involved in this situation and had visited often or even gone to the Hospital for the initial treatment.
sddavis63
Sure, it isn't entirely accurate, but can't we just rejoice that Megan and Patrick (played by child actors Meredith Droeger and Diego Velazquez)had their lives saved? Yes, they really did have Pompe Disease, and yes, their dad (Brendan Fraser) really did quit a good job in the search for a cure. No, there was no Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford) but the character was apparently a composite of a number of doctors the Crowley family dealt with as they searched for an effective treatment. Basically, "Extraordinary Measures" is a feel-good movie that touches the heart, if you let it. It doesn't really bother me that some of the details of the story were changed. The point is that the main part of the story (the search for and discovery of the treatment) is true enough. Everybody in the cast performed their parts well, and I thought Fraser was superb and completely believable as the devoted dad of the two sick children.And, over the course of the movie, you actually learn a lot about Pompe Disease, and you also get an introduction to the ethical dilemma in the pharmaceutical world between looking for cures and treatments for diseases while at the same time being driven by the desire for profits. It's jarring to sit in on a meeting, for example, and realize that in this context the meaning of "acceptable loss" isn't measured in mere dollars and cents but is rather measured in the lives of children.I'm not really sure what there would be not to like about this movie. Ford's composite character was perhaps a bit too gruff and stereotypical as the researcher who doesn't really relate well to people, and maybe the pacing of this is at times a bit slow, but basically, what's not to like about a feel-good movie about a couple of sick children who beat the odds and survive? (9/10)
Chrysanthepop
Based on Geeta Anand's book, Tom Vaughan's 'Extraordinary Measures' starts off like the typical Hollywood film. With the formulaic score and introduction of the protagonist as a successful executive with a happy family..until one sees that the two youngest children of the protagonists are suffering from Pompe's disease, an illness that atrophies the muscle and nerve cells and leads to death. The doctors aren't optimistic about the prognosis of the disease for which there's no found cure. However, John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) isn't giving up and he pursues researcher Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford) who may have the answer to the solution.The film does tend to be sentimental at times and it does occasionally resemble the 'TV film of the week' but what drives it are the performances. Fraser's performance has been criticized for being too emotional while Russell was criticized for the opposite. But I don't see why characters have to be gender-stereotyped to be realistic. Why is it impossible for the mother to be more controlled and the father to be more vocal and demonstrative about feelings? That said, I did feel that Keri Russell's role was underdeveloped even though the actress does a brilliant job with what she's given. I also would have liked to see more of Harrison Ford who was simply terrific as the stubborn and fiercely independent Stonehill. Brendan Fraser is great as the father and husband who won't give up at any cost. Of the supporting cast, Courtney B. Vance stands out.Flawed it may be...the pacing is uneven and at times the film loses track. The execution is fairly ordinary but not intrusive. The picture does provide some insight on an illness that isn't so commonly known but at times it confuses the viewer with half-baked explanations. However, the performances lift 'Extraordinary Measures' from being an average flick.
AD
